I've been re-acquainting myself with old school hip-hop the last few days and I plan on checking out the stuff on this list I haven't heard, which is just about all of it.

I used to listen to really shitty rap in early high school along with a little bit of old school stuff, but then I stopped listening to it altogether. Now I'm coming back to the old school stuff and want to branch out and hear some more good hip-hop.

Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five was an influential American hip hop group formed in the South Bronx of New York City in 1978. Composed of one DJ (Grandmaster Flash) and five rappers (Melle Mel, Kidd Creole, Cowboy, Mr. Ness/Scorpio, and Rahiem), the group's use of turntablism, break-beat deejaying, choreographed stage routines and lyricism was a significant force in the early development of hip-hop music.
The group rose to fame in the early 1980s with their first successful single "Freedom" and later on with their magnum opus "The Message", which is often cited as among the most influential hip hop songs. The Message was also their debut studio album released in 1982 on Sugar Hill Records. It is considered one of the most prominent records in the history of hip-hop music with its most notable single being "The Message", which is often listed as one of the most influential hip-hop songs. However, in 1983, relations between Grandmaster Flash and Melle Mel began straining and the group disbanded.

It still blows me away that these guys only lasted for five years(78'-82') and only came out with two albums....although they are legendary fucking records...

I'm pretty sure every single person on this board has heard the song "The Message" which is considered to be by many as hands down one of the most important songs ever created in the genre and a major influence to a lot of rising stars during the late 80s-90s. Hands down one of the most influential rap songs ever created. Although there was already tons of rap acts popping out in the 70s and 80 there just wasn't a group quite like grand master flash and the furious five. The group as well as their debut record help push the envelope in an already developing genre that was still barley getting started(don't forget that hip hop started popping off not too long ago in the mid to late 70s).The lyrics were ahead of its time and the song as well as this record was a corner stone in helping move and push rap into a more wider audience and help push the envelope commercially on the radio by developing a unique sound that would soon be mimicked by a lot of acts. Nothing came close or sounded close to the originality of this CD. Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five released one of the greatest Old school records of all time in 1982 with the Message, and the song the message will go down as one of the greatest songs ever.. Those who don't see the importance of this group, record and influence need to stop reading this thread, please and thank you...

DONT

PUSH ME CAUSE I'M CLOSE TO THE THE

EDGE!!!

I'M

TRYING

NOT

TO

LOOSE

MY HEAD!!!!

it's like a jungle out there it sometimes makes me wonder how i keep from going under...

"The Message" was the first prominent hip hop song to provide a lyrical social commentary. It took rap music from the house parties to the social platforms later developed by groups like Public Enemy, N.W.A., and Rage Against The Machine. Melle Mel said in an interview with NPR: “Our group, like Flash and the Furious Five, we didn’t actually want to do the message because we was used to doing party raps and boasting how good we are and all that.” It is credited as the catalyst for the conscious Hip-Hop or political sub-genre of Hip-Hop music. It is a social narrative that details the struggles and difficulties due to living in poverty in the inner-city. In addition, it embodies the distress, anger, and sadness an individual experiences when confronting these inequalities. The description of various social and economic barriers followed by the mantra “don’t push me cause I’m close to the edge, I’m trying not to lose my head” exemplifies that it is not just the disparity in opportunity that is oppressive but also the emotional response that is debilitating. It is frequently referred to as the greatest record in hip hop history and was the first Hip-Hop record ever to be added to the United States' National Recording Registry of historic sound recordings. Though not the first in the genre of rap to talk about the struggles and the frustrations of living in the ghetto, the song was unique in that it was set to a slower beat, refocusing the song on the lyrics over the music.

Christ all mighty reviving this thread has got me back on my hip hop fix once again, christ all mighty I forgot how fucking incredible and ahead of its time this song and album was. The deep social commentary presented on this song and record is so legendary and put simply set a corner stone for future acts living in the struggling ghetto to come out and take the style that grandmaster group had and mold into there own. Kinda like rising death metal/thrash bands who took older bands formulas and molded to make their own kind of style..

A child is born with no state of mind
Blind to the ways of mankind
God is smiling on you but he's frowning too
Because only God knows what you'll go through
You'll grow in the ghetto, living second rate
And your eyes will sing a song of deep hate
The places you're playin', where you stay
Looks like one great big alley way
You'll admire all the number book takers
Thugs, pimps, pushers and the big money makers
Driving big cars, spending twenties and tens
And you wanna grow up to be just like them, huh,
Smugglers, scrambles, burglars, gamblers
Pickpockets, peddlers even panhandlers
You say: "I'm cool, I'm no fool!"
But then you wind up dropping out of high school
Now you're unemployed, all non-void
Walking 'round like you're Pretty Boy Floyd
Turned stickup kid, look what you've done did
Got sent up for a eight year bid
Now your manhood is took and you're a may tag
Spend the next two years as a undercover fag
Being used and abused to serve like hell
Till one day you was found hung dead in a cell
It was plain to see that your life was lost
You was cold and your body swung back and forth
But now your eyes sing the sad, sad song
Of how you lived so fast and died so young

Anybody who says this shouldn't be in the top 5 lyrical performances of all time should be excommunicated from any hip-hop discussion group. Anyone who says it doesn't count because it was written by executives needs to be stabbed in the throat with fiberglass.

I thought for sure this spot would be Run DMC though.

__________________
You know its true, bunny rabbits we have got lovely little fluffy bottoms. We do. That's why people often mistake us for Danny Devito.

The Sugarhill Gang is an American hip hop group, known mostly for its 1979 hit "Rapper's Delight," the first hip hop single to become a Top 40 hit. The song uses an interpolation of the instrumental track from the classic hit "Good Times" by Chic as its foundation. While it was not the first single to feature rapping, it is generally considered to be the song that first popularized hip hop in the United States and around the world. The song's opening lyric, "I said a hip, hop, the hippie, the hippie to the hip hip hop," is world-renowned. The song was recorded in a single take.

This album really needs no post. The 14 minute classic "rappers delight" alone is worth the listen and seriously put hip hop on the map all across the U.S...hell i donno what rap would be like if it wasn't for sugar hill gangs "rappers Delight" LP...once again, those that don't agree with the post can stop checking this shit out, although i'm sure you won't

This song is one of the greatest songs ever... and this album is legendary...but the next 12 albums to be posted take rap to the next level of lyricism, beats, samplings, dating from albums from 1994, 1993, 1995,2001, 1998, 1993.

Ready to Die is the debut album of American rapper The Notorious B.I.G., released September 13, 1994 on Bad Boy Records. The first release on the label, it features production by record producer and Bad Boy founder Sean "Puffy" Combs, Easy Mo Bee, Chucky Thompson, DJ Premier, and Lord Finesse, among others. Recording sessions for the album took place during 1993 to 1994 at The Hit Factory and D&D Studios in New York City. The partly autobiographical album tells the story of The Notorious B.I.G.'s experiences as a young criminal, referring to himself as "the black Frank White". Ready to Die is his only studio album released during his lifetime; B.I.G. was murdered days prior to the release of his second album Life After Death (1997). Ready to Die gained strong reviews on release and became a commercial success, reaching quadruple platinum sales. It was significant for revitalizing the East Coast hip hop scene, amid West Coast hip hop's commercial dominance. Ready to Die has been regarded by several music critics as one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time. The Notorious B.I.G.'s lyrics on the album were generally praised by critics. The album is also noted for its dark tone and sinister sense of depression.

…EVERYONE should be familiar with notorious BIG and this album, and if not, well SHAME ON YOU because This is not only one of the most well known albums of the genre, but it's pretty popular amongst those that listen to hip hop and those that don't.. Even those that don't like hip hop or listen to much of it should know classics such as "Big Poppa", and "Juicy" which are both found on this classic record as well as played constantly on the radio on a daily basis.. For those that aren't familiar with Notorious B.I.G., Well I pitty you fool, MR T STATUS. Notorious B.I.G was an up coming hip hop artist during the early 90s where he rose to fame from his battle rap freestyle that he would spit on the corners of new york while slanging crack cocain. Eventually time passed and biggie was sick of that lifestyle so he broke off the mold and decided that he wanted to become one of the biggest artists of all time. This was also around the same time when Biggie also befriends a very young and premature P-diddy who went by the name Puff Daddy back then. Through this epic friendship the two set out to get biggie a deal so the two of them can rise to fame and to release one of the greatest CDs of all time. Biggie and puff daddy rose to critical fame/acclaim with this album. He braught out a style, chrasimia, and flow that would forever be untouched in the world of hip hop. The lyrics are dynamite and the beats stand still to this day stand the test of time. PERSONALY I didn't think biggie smalls was very deep or poetic, but Biggies flow was harder than a bag of stones and had that golden voice that would forever be remember for years to come. In a way he was kind of ahead of his time and if he didn't get killed at such an early age I think he would have grown to be the top rappers of all time. It blows me away that this guy only released two albums and died at such an early age.. He died at age 24 to be exact....So young and so much gift and potential to be shown to the entire world...only to be taken away......REST IN PEACE BIGGIE SMALLS

The production on this album is some of the greatest of all time. So much layered sampling and incredible drum beats with heavy bass by productions from legendary gangstarr member DJ PREMIER, as well as some production from underrated hip hop producer EASY Moe bee. For those that donno, Easy moe bee is probably one of the most slept on producers of all time. He's so underground and yet has worked with so many incredible artists such as 2PAC, biggie, Wu Tang members, Jamal, and more. The beats he produces on tracks such as "gimmi the loot" and "Ready to die" are just heavy and haunting filled with epic jazzy loops. It matches well with biggies gritty raps on the fucked up shit that goes on in his side of the streets. Best tracks are practically the entire album ahahha. Everyone scoping this album out should first listen to the song "Suicidal Thoughts". The lyrics are haunting and fucked up as well as backed up by a sinister mellow beat that is just head knobbing yet incredibly addicting to jazz out too. In my opinion it's the best song on the album it's just too bad the song is too damn short!!! Here is the track as well as a fatt chunk of this classic record for ya'll to scope out... Digg it and enjoy